Neue Burg Museums

Instruments of all shapes and sizes are on display at the Sammlung Alter Musikinstrumente (Collection of Ancient Musical Instruments), the first of three-museums-in-one in the Neue Burg. The forward-thinking Archduke Ferdinand of Tyrol started the whole thing by collecting rare instruments and this now ranks among the finest Renaissance collections in the world.There are horns shaped like serpents and violins with carved faces, and a few of the historic instruments can be played. The admission price includes entry to two adjoining collections. The Ephesos Museum contains artefacts from Ephesus and Samothrace, supposedly donated by the Sultan in 1900 after a team of Austrian archaeologists excavated the famous site in Turkey. The highlight of the museum are figures from 161 AD in a frieze honouring the defeat of the Parthians by Lucius Verus and his Roman army. Noted as one of the finest museums of its kind in the world, the Hofjagd und Rüstkammer (Arms and Armour) collection dates mostly from the 15th and 16th centuries and has some superb examples of ancient armour. This is one place that will enthral adults and kids alike. Audio guides are available for €3 and admission to the Kunsthistorisches Museum includes the Neue Burg museums.